Out of Gas 'Everybody dies alone.' (SPOILERS)

POSTED BY: AgentRouka
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 22:41
VIEWED: 10766
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FEARTHEBUNNYMAN

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 3:13 AM

I sort of got the impression that it was Inara's intention to die alone - that's why she was always pulling back from intimacy with Mal, leaving the ship, etc. Maybe even part of the reason she left the Core? So if anything, I would imagine when Mal said that to her, she knew exactly what he meant, b/c she thought that way too (for herself anyway, maybe she wouldn't want it for others).

AGENTROUKA

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 3:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fearthebunnyman:
I sort of got the impression that it was Inara's intention to die alone - that's why she was always pulling back from intimacy with Mal, leaving the ship, etc. Maybe even part of the reason she left the Core? So if anything, I would imagine when Mal said that to her, she knew exactly what he meant, b/c she thought that way too (for herself anyway, maybe she wouldn't want it for others).

That's what I'm thinking, too. I think it's why she accepts it from Mal.

Quote:
Originally posted by LAUREN779:
But to answer the question, I had always thought Mal meant exactly what he said-because in a way, it is true. Dying is a singular process. Even if they were all together on the ship-or in the shuttle, each one of them would have died alone.

I think even if Mal knew Inara was dying, and, hypothetically, had been with her in her "final" stages, I still think he would have held onto the belief that in a way, she died alone.

But there's the moment of crossing over and there's the facing the moments of anticipation alone. Death itself is really a short moment compared to the process of dying.

Somehow I don't see Mal just letting Inara leave (without an argument, anyway) if she told him "Everybody dies alone" as a reason.

I'm very certain that this line would have made a comeback if she series had continued. Dying alone may be a concept Mal has internalized for himself, out of necessity, but letting someone else die alone, someone he really cares for, is still something else. At that point in the series, he's still somewhat in denial. At the end of the episode he's very afraid of waking up and finding them all gone. That suggests that what Mal intellectually agrees with and what he emotionally agrees with are two different things.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 3:31 PM

Quote:
At the end of the episode he's very afraid of waking up and finding them all gone. That suggests that what Mal intellectually agrees with and what he emotionally agrees with are two different things.

That's true. I guess I misunderstood your original point. Mal wouldn't lie to Inara about death, hers or his, but wanting to be there as she passes would be a big thing for Mal, I think you're right about that.

Which does make him a hypocrite for pushing her away at that time, but maybe that was more of a sacrifice, just in case, last ditch desperation thing.

LAUREN779

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 4:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
But there's the moment of crossing over and there's the facing the moments of anticipation alone. Death itself is really a short moment compared to the process of dying.

Somehow I don't see Mal just letting Inara leave (without an argument, anyway) if she told him "Everybody dies alone" as a reason.

I'm very certain that this line would have made a comeback if she series had continued. Dying alone may be a concept Mal has internalized for himself, out of necessity, but letting someone else die alone, someone he really cares for, is still something else. At that point in the series, he's still somewhat in denial. At the end of the episode he's very afraid of waking up and finding them all gone. That suggests that what Mal intellectually agrees with and what he emotionally agrees with are two different things.

Come to think about it, you are absolutely right. Mal is a pretty complex character, and in a way, so is Inara.

ZEEK

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 4:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fearthebunnyman:
I sort of got the impression that it was Inara's intention to die alone - that's why she was always pulling back from intimacy with Mal, leaving the ship, etc. Maybe even part of the reason she left the Core? So if anything, I would imagine when Mal said that to her, she knew exactly what he meant, b/c she thought that way too (for herself anyway, maybe she wouldn't want it for others).

I don't get that impression at all. I think she's afraid of death. She doesn't want to die at all. She's running from it and trying to bottle up her emotions as best as possible. She's trying to follow Buddhism because she wants an excuse not to fear death.

I also don't think she's pulling away because she wants to die alone. She's the one telling Mal he doesn't have to die alone. I think she's pulling away because she doesn't want anyone to get close enough to her to find out that she's dying. Then it's real. Then she has to face it and talk about it and it would be all the more difficult to wall off her emotions.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 6:36 PM

Quote:
I think she's pulling away because she doesn't want anyone to get close enough to her to find out that she's dying. Then it's real. Then she has to face it and talk about it and it would be all the more difficult to wall off her emotions.

Yes on this.

...Afraid of dying, I have to think about this. She's nervous when the Reavers pass by, or when fighting them in the movie, but not paralyzed by the fear or particularly trying to avoid dying.

I don't think the above constitutes fear of dying, I think the above constitutes consideration, not wanting other people to worry about her.

PLATONIST

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 8:20 PM

Oh, goody, a discussion;)

Somewhere I read or heard, I’m too lazy to find it now, Joss said that Mal and Inara were mirror images of each other, beyond the love thingy or maybe in spite of it, so it would make sense that what Mal says to her and about her, is not only a reflection of his own personal philosophy, which is fairly nihilistic, but, also, a reflection of her personal experience. Mal has seen a lot of death and Inara is, huh…dying, and it is a singular process, she can’t argue with that.

I never got the impression Inara has a fear of dying, though, more likely she's come to terms with it more than most because she is dying and she's been living with it for a while. She doesn’t want to die, like she says, but who does? And she’s wise and old enough to know, that you can’t run from death, not even out to the stars, it’s inevitable, she can’t control it, just as she can’t control Mal staying behind to die alone in OoG.

The reason she rents and then leaves, IMHO, Inara is intrigued with what Serenity and its Captain can offer in terms of mobility, in seeing the verse before she dies, like she says, and then things become complicated, the crew starts to care for her and her for them, especially Mal, and she can’t burden them with her secret because she recognizes Mal’s situation, which is, him just getting to the point where he can live on Serenity happily, unburdened by the pain of the past. She doesn’t want to add to that, what she doesn’t know is the effect of him not knowing why she really leaves, has on him, and the importance her being on Serenity had for him, a chance for a more hopeful future. Why did you leave?

TWO

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 8:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by PLATONIST:
Oh, goody, a discussion;)

Somewhere I read or heard, I’m too lazy to find it now, Joss said that Mal and Inara were mirror images of each other, beyond the love thingy or maybe in spite of it, so it would make sense that what Mal says to her and about her, is not only a reflection of his own personal philosophy, which is fairly nihilistic, but, also, a reflection of her personal experience. Mal has seen a lot of death and Inara is, huh…dying, and it is a singular process, she can’t argue with that.

I never got the impression Inara has a fear of dying, though, more likely she's come to terms with it more than most because she is dying and she's been living with it for a while. She doesn’t want to die, like she says, but who does? And she’s wise and old enough to know, that you can’t run from death, not even out to the stars, it’s inevitable, she can’t control it, just as she can’t control Mal staying behind to die alone in OoG.

The reason she rents and then leaves, IMHO, Inara is intrigued with what Serenity and its Captain can offer in terms of mobility, in seeing the verse before she dies, like she says, and then things become complicated, the crew starts to care for her and her for them, especially Mal, and she can’t burden them with her secret because she recognizes Mal’s situation, which is, him just getting to the point where he can live on Serenity happily, unburdened by the pain of the past. She doesn’t want to add to that, what she doesn’t know is the effect of him not knowing why she really leaves, has on him, and the importance her being on Serenity had for him, a chance for a more hopeful future. Why did you leave?

We should get specific about what is wrong with Inara. If I were writing Firefly, I would give her Huntington's disease. Young people, like Inara, who develop the disease can have symptoms that mimic Parkinson's: Muscle rigidity, Tremors, Slow movements. This is perfect for TV actresses. And it is fatal.

To add to the drama of Inara's situation, Huntington's is hereditary. Her conception was a gamble. She might have angry resentment toward her parents for what happened. “Why was I born, Mother!” That is also good for dramatic TV.

From genetic testing, Inara knew what was coming before she gets symptoms. That's some more drama and explains why she is out exploring the Universe while she's still young. And why she waivers about making an attachment to Mal.

Since this is science fiction, there's the mirage of a future super-cure. Nano-bots to the rescue. Joss Whedon could save Inara in season seven of Firefly, if he wanted to play god and give everybody a happy ending. But even if Inara dies in the final episode, she still will have had a worthwhile life and an answer to her question, “Why was I born, Mother?”

The Joss Whedon script for "Serenity", where Wash lives, is
Serenity-190pages.pdf at www.mediafire.com/two

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 9:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
She doesn't want to die at all.

"I'd rather not die at all."

The laughing Chrisisall

FEARTHEBUNNYMAN

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 10:59 PM

@Zeek - I think what you are saying is part of it, but I disagree that she's in any kind of denial. But shying away from the emotions - well, desiring to die alone and not deal with anyone else's reactions would probably make it easier to push things away, certainly.

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